Former Vice President Hubert Humphrey once said, in part, “The moral test of government is how that government treats … those who are in the shadows of life — the sick, the needy and the handicapped.”
That ideal is being exemplified by the ongoing transfer of 20 severely developmentally handicapped residents of the Rainier School, a state Department of Social and Health Services facility in Buckley, Wash., to Lakeland Village in Medical Lake.
The city’s newest citizens have been arriving one-by-one in a carefully choreographed process after one of Rainier’s three facilities was decertified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services last year.
But DSHS authorities were already preparing for such an event, according to Lisa Copeland, spokesperson for DSHS.
“We were already in the process of looking at the different individuals and assessing them to see if they’d be better suited in other places,” Copeland said.
A total of 45 residents were impacted by the closure, according to the press release. Some are being transferred to community-based facilities, with others to two remaining DSHS Residential Rehabilitation Center facilities at Lakeland, and Fircrest in Shoreline, Wash., according to Copeland.
“We had openings,” Lambert-Eckel said, “So we had the capacity to receive individuals here.”
Lakeland’s nursing facility is licensed for 93 residents, she said.
Moving residents, many who are non-verbal and non-ambulatory and require significant nursing care, is a major logistical task that takes into consideration a host of issues, according to Lambert-Eckel.
Lakeland Village offers two levels of service, intermediate care and full nursing services. Each Buckley resident requiring reassignment was assessed for level of individual care needed to facilitate the move, Lambert-Eckel said.
Families and guardians were also consulted to gauge their level of tolerance to the distance between them and their eligible resident family members, and other issues.
“We engage the family or guardian and ask if they want to come here and see this environment, so they are comfortable with it,” Lambert-Eckel said.
Tours are arranged, and opportunities to speak with staff are made available.
“We reassure them and help them be confident that their family member or the person they are providing guardianship for is coming to a good place,” Lambert-Eckel said.
A team from Lakeland — a nurse, a certified nursing assistant and other staff as needed — travels to Rainier to familiarize themselves with the “voluminous” records of each new resident — health and activity assessments, how they eat, the types of supports they require and individual medical issues, according to Lambert-Eckel.
The team collaborates with Rainier staff and the individual resident to observe their new charge and learn more about them as a person, things that may not be reflected in their records, Lambert-Eckel said.
“This is where we gather some of this nuanced information that doesn’t necessarily exist on paper,” she said, things like musical tastes, nicknames and food preferences.
Once a transfer date is set, Rainier prepares the individuals belongings; logistical issues are arranged, depending on person’s needs.
“It’s typically a very long day,” Lambert-Eckel of the cross-state trip.
Depending on individual needs, that trip can involve multiple stops and one or more support staff. Some individuals are unable to use restrooms and require changing, for example.
The Lakeland campus is informed when residents are scheduled to arrive so that members of the individuals interdisciplinary team — nurses, dietitians, occupational and physical therapists, speech and language pathologists and other support staff — can make arrangements to meet them.
“We have a lot of people supporting individual teams here,” Lambert-Eckel said.
Staff from Rainier — people the new resident is familiar with —accompanies them during the trip to Lakeland, and stay with the resident for three days to ensure a smooth integration into their new home.
“They are the familiar,” Lambert-Eckel said. “They are the person that the resident knows, has a comfort level with.”
Communication continues between Rainier and Lakeland staff during the intake process regarding the individuals nuanced care.
Meanwhile, their belongings are unpacked, and personal items such as family pictures, blankets and wall art are placed in their new room.
“The things that bring them joy,” Lambert-Eckel said. “It helps them to settle-in to their new space.
The new residents are monitored closely to ensure the trip and their new surroundings haven’t caused any issues.
“It’s a very intensive time for nursing,” Lambert-Eckel said.
After everyone becomes familiar with one another, residents then begin participating in activities, including spending time outdoors or off-campus if possible, shopping or attending fairs, movies or musical events. Lakeland even has an area on Clear Lake for residents.
“Anywhere that makes sense and the client has an interest in,” Lambert-Eckel said. “Activities are a key feature of their life to keep them stimulated, interested and engaged.”
Lakeland’s nursing unit will be at capacity once the final resident makes the trip across the state on July 24. The entire facility is licensed for a total of 493 residents, according to Lambert-Eckel.
Lakeland remains fully certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, according to Copland.
Lee Hughes can be reached at [email protected].
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